Wireless devices, such as cellular telephones, pagers, and handheld computing devices, have become affordable to millions of persons. Their benefit to society is untold and yet readily apparent. Cellular telephones have allowed persons to be in communication with one another around the clock and at almost any location. Pagers, once used only for receipt and display of a telephone number, now support voice and electronic messaging. Many pagers allow both reception and transmission of messages. Handheld computing devices, such as personal digital assistants (“PDAs”), are able to run a multitude of software programs, with applications that feature games, word and data processing, and more. Furthermore, handheld computing devices, via wireless communication links, are able to access the Internet and other communication networks.
The distinction between various types of wireless devices is becoming blurred. The increasing homogeneity results as the functionality of one type of wireless device is brought within the functionality of another type. For example, cellular telephones that double as pagers, and cellular telephones that include the functionality of a PDA are now available.
Wireless devices typically are easy to use. Because of their ease of use, affordability, and availability, wireless devices have been purchased, or are used, by persons in virtually every strata of society. Because of their size and ease of portability, these devices can be found in almost every location.
Many wireless devices appear to have a common feature. In order to alert a user of some event, for example, the reception of a cellular telephone call or of a page, most wireless devices emit a notification alert, such as a sound. Some sounds are reminiscent of a standard telephone ringer; other sounds may include the themes to popular television shows, portions of popular music, animal sounds, or customized sounds. Many wireless devices that include keyboards, or pointing/data-entry devices, may emit key-click, data entry acknowledgment, warning, error alert, or other sounds.
Emission of the sounds from a wireless device may be from a sound control unit implemented, for example, in both hardware and software. The sound control system may control both the audible alerts broadcast to a wireless device user, as well as allow the user to listen to sounds played through the wireless device, such as, for example, the sound of the voice of a calling party on a cellular telephone, or music or other audible content of an Internet web page on a handheld computing device. On one hand, the audible alert sounds serve a valuable and useful purpose to the user of the wireless device; on the other hand however, the audible alert sounds may be quite an annoyance to persons within earshot of the wireless device.
Many wireless devices provide the user with an option to turn off the audible alert of the device. Some devices allow a user to select between an audible alert and a vibrating alert. Many times, where common courtesy may dictate that a user should disable the audible alert of the user's wireless device, the user simply fails to do so. This failure may be due to the user's inability to determine how to shut off the audible alert, or it may be due to the user simply forgetting that the wireless device may suddenly sound an alert in a location where persons customarily maintain a quiet environment. A location that has been designated as a place where audible alerts are discouraged or prohibited may be referred to herein as a “quiet zone.” Such locations may include libraries, restaurants, theatres, public transportation vehicles, classrooms, and courtrooms.